Key case



June 4, 1929. s, BARBARAv 1,715,348

KEY CASE Filed Aug. l, 1927 S 'Z (PO :iv INVENT-ORv l www @im ATTORNEYSPatented dune 4, 1929.

1,715,348 PATENT oFF-ICE.

UITED STATES STANLEY BARBARA, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y.

CASE.

Application iiied August 1, 1927. Serial No. 209,674.v

' This invention relates to key cases of the kind adapted to contain oneor more keys for the purpose of being carried in the pocket to protectthe pocket against wear by the keys.

One object of the invention is to facilitate the opening of the keycase. Accordingly, the key case is formed so as to permit its opening bythe use of only one hand. More specifically the key case is formed as apocket having a single open end or mouth which is closed b a readilyreleasable fastening device an whereof the edges of the opening tend toseparate the fastening device when the corners of the mouth are causedto approach one another by the fingers of one hand. Preferably the wallsofthe pocket are formed of relatively sti material. For instance thepocket may be formed of two sides of relatively stiif leather stitchedtogether along the edges so that when the opposite corners of theopening are caused to approach one another, as by the thumb and firstfinger, the relatively stijf sides will separate opening the mouth ofthe pocket and disengaging the fastening device.

A further object of the invention is the provision of means forpermitting the ejection of the keys from the pocket so soon as the mouthis opened. To this end the keys are carried with one end of a :dexiblemember, such as a chain, which passes through an aperture in one wall ofthe pocket and carries at its other end means for attachment to theperson as by a loop to be secured to the wearers belt. Thus the key casemay be removed from the pocket with one hand, opened with the one handand the keys permitted to fall out by the passage of the key chainthrough the aperture, the weight of the keys serving to draw theflexible member through the aperture. y

These and other objects of the invention and the meansv for theirattainment will be more apparent from the following detailed descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating apreferred embodiment thereof and in which:

Figure 1 is a view of the key case in side elevation with the pocketclosed and the keys contained therein.

Figure 2 is a view of the key case in side elevation upon the oppositeside illustrated in Figure 1 with the pocket open and the keys ejectedtherefrom.

Figure 3 is an edge view of the closed pocket.

y Figure 4 isa view* showing the mouth of the pocket when closed.

Figure 5 is a view showing the'mouth of the pocket when opened.

A bunch of keys carried in the pocket tends to wear the pocket and soonmakes a hole therein through which the keys may slip out and b e lost. Akey case, usually of leather, is therefore frequentl resorted to toprevent contact of the metallic keys with the cloth of the ocket.

The unch of keys ,is also frequently carrled upon a key chain which maybe fastened to'a suspender button or belt and thus securely connect thekeys with the person and'prever; their loss.

person carrying his ke s u on a' ke chain and within a key caseyhaspbeenat disadvantage particularly when attempting to unlock a Adoor whilecarrying bundles and the like, since these appurtenances have heretoforerendered it necessary to remove the keys from the pocket with the freehand andl open the key case with the other hand and extract the keystherefrom. Then the key vcase had to be carried in one hand while thekey was inserted in the lock with the other hand. Hitherto, so far as Iam aware, either one of the two elements, the keys or the key case, hasbeen free from the key chain so that there was always the possibilitywhen opening the door to drop either the bunch of keys or the key case,Whichever was not secured to the chain. The present invention seeks toovercome the aforesaid difficulties by connecting both the keysl and thekey case to the key chain, all in a combination which may be opened andthe keys removed ready for use, with one hand.

Referring now to the drawings, the keys 10 are shown as carried on a keyring 11 connected with one end 12 of a chain 13, the other end 14 ofwhich is illustrated as connected to a belt loop 15 so that the end 14of the chain 13 may be conveniently connected to the wearer by means ofthe belt, a fragmentary portion of which is indicated at 16 in Figure 1.

The key case 18 is formed of two sides 19, preferably of relativelystiff leather, of any convenient shape, but preferably having onerounded bottom end 20 and these sides 19 are connected at their edges bya single row of stitching 22 so as to leave the opposite end 23 open toserve as a mouth for the insertion or removal of keys.

For convenience in description, the rounded end shown at at the top ofFigures 1, 2 and 3 will be referred to as the bottom end 20 while theopen end will be referred to as the mouth 23 and the Vcorners where thetwo sides 19 are stitched together will be called the corners 24 of themouth.

Midway between the corners 24 the mouth is adapted to be closed,preferably by a snap fastener 26 which is shown in the illustratedembodiment as disposed, respectively, in outwardly curve-d port-ions 27of the edges delining the mouth 23 so that the snap fastener 26 lieswholly without but closely proximate a line including the two corners24. Furthermore the two side pieces 16 are of such shape and of suchstiffness that the mouth is noremerged to stop their furtherprogre'ssby.

mally open as shown in Figure 5 but may be closed as illustrated inFigure 4 by means of the sna fastener, which event the respective e gesof the mouth on opposite sides of the snap fastener 26 bow outwardly asshown in Figure 4.

This snap fastener 26 is readily releasable so that when the corners 24of the mouth 23 are caused to approach one another, say b engaging thecorners 24.between the thum and first finger of one hand, the tendencyvof the relatively stiff leather walls to bow outwardly will open thesnap fastener and permit the mouth to gape open as shown in i` ure 5.

n one wall 16 of the case 18 and'preferably adjacent the bottom end 20opposite tothe open mouth 23, the wall 16 is formed with an aperture 28for the passage of the key chain 13. This aperture 28 is preferably aneyelet of a diameter somewhat greater than the diameter of the key chain13 so that the key chain may pass or slip readily therethrough.

The key case 18 with the keys 10 therein and the mouth 23 closed isnormally inserted in the pocket'in the condition illustrated inFigure 1. When it is desired to use one of the keys 10 it is merelynecessary to withdraw the keys from the pocket say by pulling on thechain 13 and, as the key case 18 emerges from the pocket, slipping thehand along the key chain 13 until the key case 18 is within the grasp.Then by grasping the corners 24 between the thumb and forenger of thesame hand and causing lthe corners 24 to approach one another, therelative stiffness of the sides 16 cause the edges of the mouth 23 tospring outwardly to the position shown in Figure 5- thereby separatingthe snap fastener 26 and if the mouth 23 is directed downwardly, thekeys 10 will fall of their own weight out of the key case 18 through themouth 23 drawing the chain 13 readily through the aperture 28. It isthen a simple matter when the keys have closing the fingers about thewalls 16 and the the sna is then only necessary to extend the hand sovthat the key case 28 travels along the length of the chain 13 with thechain extended thus drawing the keys 10- within the key case 18 andpermitting the mouth 23 to be closed by fastener 26 and the casereturned to the poc et,all with the same hand. Y

Various modications may be made in th composition and configuration ofthe component elements going to make up the device as a whole. Forinstance the walls of the case need not be wholly of stiff andspring-like material but merely the edges of the mouth may be made stilienough to bow out when the corners of the case are caused to approachone another.

What I claim is:

1. A key case made of two sides of relatively stiff material, saidstiffness being suiiicient to bow against a holding pressure such as isexerted by a snap retaining means and being of sufiicient stiffness toseparate the parts of said retaining means, said two sides of Inaterialbeing secured together `along' three edges and left open along al fourthedge to form a mouth portion having substantially straight edges ofsuicient length to assume a vbowed-open position, and snap securingmeans near the center of the mouth and near thel straight edges toreleasably close the mouth, said snap securing means being releasableupon pressure being exerted along the straight unsewed edges toward thesnap securing means to bow the stiff material at the mouth and transmitsuicient force to release the snap securing means and open the mouth byreason of the increased bowing-open effect.

2. In a case, two sides of flexible material placed together and forminga. receiving space therebetween and sewed together at their edges exceptalong one portion thereof which is left unsewed to forma mouth leadinginto the receiving space, the mouth being defined by unsewed free edgesof st-iii" material and suiiicient in length to bow open when pressureis exerted on the sewed edges from each end of the mouth inwardly towardits center, and snap fasteners being disposed substantially in thecenter ofthe mouth and in line with the position assumed by ones thumband finger when gripping the mouth ends in applying a bowing movementthereto, and said bowing movement being exerted on each side of the snapfastener means and increasing until the force resulting there- STANLEYBARBARA.V

